The phone has been warmly welcomed in India as well as globally. With powerful hardware and optimized software, OnePlus 5 is pegged at par equal with bigger flagships like the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8. We have been testing the OnePlus 5 for a while now, covering all the aspects thoroughly in our review. We have also seen some issues with the display of the phone, with a lot of users reporting about a jelly effect while scrolling. With that said, we present you with some reasons to buy and not to buy the OnePlus 5.
OnePlus 5 – Reasons To Buy
Display
The display on the OnePlus 5 is a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It comes with the same panel as the OnePlus 3T and it is not a QHD display, but it performs exceptionally well. The color reproduction and viewing angles on the OnePlus 5 are excellent. The display is crisp and sharp even in bright sunlight and works just fine under dim light situations. It is easy on the eyes with a special ‘Reading Mode’ integrated into it. It is worth pointing out that there have been reports about users noticing a jelly effect while scrolling. That said, our unit has been working just fine.
Cameras
The OnePlus 5 has a Dual camera module on the back that uses a 16MP f/1.7 lens and a 20MP f/2.6 Aperture Telephoto lens. It is capable of recording 4K videos and take great pictures. In fact, the Bokeh effect in Portrait mode delivers great images. The front-facing camera is also a good unit with a 16MP lens with EIS and auto-HDR.
Hardware
Talking about hardware, OnePlus 5 stands mighty and strong. The device packs a Snapdragon 835 Octa-Core processor, clocked at 2.45GHz. This powerful processor is coupled with Adreno 540 GPU and up to 8GB RAM and 128GB memory. These powerful specifications contribute to the seamless and consistent performance of the OnePlus 5. It is the cheapest phone in the market currently to feature these many high-end specifications, starting at a price of Rs. 32,999.
Software and Performance
Apart from the powerful hardware, the OnePlus 5 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat based OxygenOS, which is near stock and optimized version of Android OS. Despite being near stock Android, it has added features like an auto-brightness toggle right next to the slider, gaming mode and a lot more customization comes from the OxygenOS. This way, you get optimized performance, near stock Android and then some more from the OnePlus 5.
Design
Last but not the least. OnePlus 5 has the premium look and feel that we find in a flagship device. The Anodized Aluminium casing feels smooth yet not slippery. The device looks premium and the antenna bands are also well blended with the phone’s design.
OnePlus 5 – Reasons Not To Buy
So we have listed what we saw as the best things about the OnePlus 5, so now it’s time for the Cons. We did spot some things that were not so good about this device and here they are.
Battery Capacity
I’m pointing at the capacity and not the life here. The OnePlus 5 packs a 3,300 mAh non-removable battery, which gives it almost a day’s worth of average usage. On the positive side, the OnePlus 5 comes with Dash Charge. You can charge the phone from 0% to more than 50% in just 30 minutes, which should last you half a day of average usage.
No Water Resistance
While companies like Apple and Samsung are looking at water resistance seriously, the OnePlus 5 does not come with water resistance. For some users, it may be a deal breaker. The noticeable thing is that the device managed to survive a water test done by a YouTuber. A certification or rating would be more satisfactory for the users.
Lack of Optical Image Stabilization
OIS is the feature that helps the cameras click crisp images even in a shaky situation. The absence of OIS is definitely felt while shooting 4K resolution videos on the Oneplus 5. On the positive side, OnePlus 5 comes with Electronic Image Stabilization which has received several updates since the phone’s release and performs well.
Price
The OnePlus 5 will leave a slightly larger hole in your pockets. OnePlus has increased its price by 10% compared to the OnePlus 3T. Even after considering all the updates, the device seems a little costlier.
Conclusion
Even after a 10% increase in the price, the OnePlus 5 does seem like a decent smartphone. The jelly effect is the major factor that may affect decisions of a lot of users, but overall, there’s not a lot to complain about. The rest of the hardware is very good. Arguably, OnePlus could have gone with a Quad HD display and a slightly bigger battery. The lack of OIS may also be important to some users. At the end of the day, it boils down to which features are more important to you.
